Borderlines 08: Bar Talk II
by Macx LaraBee
Summary: based on Sui Generis. C/E. Sequel to Bar Talk I+II


**Bar Talk III**   
by Macx

"What's it like?"   
Ezra gave Buck a blank look. His friend and colleague was sitting across from him in the small booth the team usually used when having a friendly beer at Nettie's, an inquisitive expression in his eyes.   
"What's what like?" he asked.   
"Well, you know...."   
"Frankly, I don't."   
Buck played with mug. "Being with a man, y'know. Chris."   
Ezra nearly choked on his beer and broke into a coughing fit. "What?" he managed, disbelief in his voice.   
Buck just shrugged, curiosity clearly written on his face.   
Ezra pulled himself together, feeling the first stirrings of Chris's presence over the Bond. The brief shock over Buck's question had alerted his partner. He ignored him for now.   
"So, you want to know about men or Chris?"   
"Isn't that the same?"   
The thief smiled. "No. Not by a long shot."   
Buck appeared confused. "But Chris is a man."   
"Very much so."   
"So, it's like with other men?"   
"Can't honestly tell." Ezra had to laugh silently at the spreading confusion.   
"You aren't actually..... I mean...?"   
"No, Buck, I'm not gay. Never was."   
"Still you and Chris got together."   
"It's the soul bond, Buck. It has nothing to do with being interested in men in general. Chris is my partner, plain and simple. I'm not going to jump into bed with other men and have never done so in the past."   
"So what's it like?"   
Ezra bit down on another coughing fit. Buck had a talent to always ask such things when he was taking a sip.   
"Curious?" he wanted to know, wiping a droplet off the outside of his mug.   
A shrug. "Kinda."   
Ezra felt Chris's amusement. His partner was by now listening in as Standish was getting a full load of 'Wilmington'.   
"Well, you might want to try it then."   
Buck's cheeks flushed slightly. "Ah, I don't think I should."   
Ezra leaned forward. "Why not? When curious, try it out. It's like women and I know that you have plenty of experience there."   
The other Agent cleared his throat. "You say it's like sleeping with a woman?"   
"No, that's not what I meant. It's quite different in many ways. Women and men are not alike when it comes to that." Ezra smiled. "I just thought that you are plenty curious and experimental when it comes to the fairer sex."   
"That's different. I mean a woman's.... y'know.... I can trust what I do, I know what to expect.... With men...." Buck hesitated, then pulled out some prints. "I read some on the topic."   
Ezra nearly burst out laughing and Chris's reaction didn't help. He looked at the prints and discovered some very interesting pictures.   
Now there's something new> he commented to his partner and sent the image across the Bond, closely followed by what he thought he and Chris might want to try.   
The answer was a wave of heated desire that nearly floored him. Ezra struggled with a shield as Chris told him in no uncertain words that he wasn't really objecting to it.   
"Yo, Ez?" A hand was waved in front of his eyes. "You still with me, pard?"   
Ezra blinked and focused on Buck again. "Yes, yes. I am." He cleared his throat. "Where did you find this.... material?"   
"Oh, in one of the electronic libraries." Buck waved vaguely. "I was...uh... browsing...."   
Standish grinned. Browsing. Uh-huh. "And you think this is what we do?"   
"Well, it's what the files say....."   
Ezra looked at the images again, feeling Chris's response. No, they didn't really do it like that, but it was something to keep in mind. It looked.... another wave rushed through him.   
Chris, cut it out!>   
An innocent 'why' answered him. Ezra shot a glare down the Bond and pointedly raised a shield.   
"Buck, this is porn. Clear and simple. They exaggerate."   
"Oh."   
Was it disappointment or relief? Ezra couldn't tell.   
"To get an impression of the real thing, if you are that curious, you might want to try it."   
"Uh, I can't really just walk into one of them bars and ask!" Buck sounded shocked.   
Ezra was surprised that his friend was actually pondering this so seriously. Then his wicked streak rose and he leaned closer. He remembered a similar conversation between Buck and Chris where Wilmington had confessed that he thought Ezra was handsome.   
"Well, depends on who you ask," he told him, voice dipping. He ran a finger over Buck's hand, then lightly grasped the larger hand.   
Buck's eyes widened and he stared at the younger man in utter shock. "Ezra!" he croaked, pulling his hand away after a brief hesitation.   
"What?" the thief asked innocently.   
"You...you... what are you doing?"   
He looked around, light panic in his voice. Luckily, the booth was in the far corner and the clientele was lingering around the counter or playing pool. No one was close enough to watch or hear them.   
Ezra smiled, putting as much sex into that smile as he dared with Buck. Chris was having a laughing fit on the other side.   
You are so bad!>   
I haven't even started> he purred back.   
"What do you think I'm doing?" he asked out loud.   
"But you... and Chris.... you are together!" Buck hissed, keeping his voice down.   
"Yes, we are. But I also know what you think of me, Buck."   
Wilmington managed a hiccupping sound as the hand was back, Ezra's thumb stroking the back of his hand. "I... you... Chris told you?"   
"Kinda."   
"Gawd..... Ez...listen, I .... I didn't mean it like that, y'know!"   
"You don't think I'm handsome? Then why are you offering?"   
Now the panic rose. "Offering? No, no, wait!" Buck shook his head. "I wasn't offering, just asking!"   
"You're asking Ezra out?" a slightly rough voice asked and Ezra had to hold on to himself not slide under the table, laughing.   
Buck had stiffened, eyes widening in shock at the voice coming from behind him. His expression was priceless. "Chris," he blurted, his own voice higher than normal. "Gawd! It's not what you think!"   
"Then what is it? What I see is you coming onto Ezra, the two of you holding hands....."   
Buck pulled his hand closer to his own body. "I wasn't coming on to him! And we were not holding hands!"   
Chris slid in next to Ezra, expression neutral, not giving anything away. If Buck had been privy to the Bond, he would have heard Ezra's almost hysterical laughter and seen Chris's devilish smile.   
"You want to tell me it was Ezra?"   
"He... he started it!"   
"Buck offered," Ezra just answered levelly.   
"I didn't! I just wanted to know!"   
Chris's eyes fell on the prints and Ezra had to use all his control to keep his facade.   
Damn, Larabee! Stop it!> he gasped.   
Hm, fun> Chris purred.   
Not here!>   
Why?>   
You want to explain to Nettie why Buck fainted?>   
You've got a point>   
Ezra felt hot and bothered all of a sudden and he flung the sensations back at Chris, pleased to get the same response. If this went on much longer, they'd need to get a back room.   
"Chris, pard, listen, I..... I didn't mean anything with it! I'm not interested in Ezra!" Buck drew them out of their silent communication.   
"I'm crushed," Ezra sighed theatrically and hung his head.   
"Ez c'mon.... Ah hell!" Buck glared at his best friend and the thief. "You're playing with me!" he wailed.   
"No..... only if you want us to, but I'm not sure about a threesome," Ezra answered smoothly.   
Buck flushed red. Chris broke into a broad grin, one Buck hadn't seen all that often in the past; one he had started to see a lot more since Ezra had joined the team. He chuckled.   
"That wasn't nice."   
"You asked," Ezra replied, dimples appearing.   
"Yeah, I did."   
"You got any intentions?" Chris wanted to know.   
"Not towards Ezra!"   
"Anyone else?"   
"Nah. Not really. I was just curious. Y'know, since you guys are together.... I've been thinking."   
"A painful experience indeed," Ezra deadpanned, which put him at the receiving end of a dark look from Buck.   
"So you thought you'd try it with Ezra?" Chris teased.   
Buck rolled his eyes. "No."   
"But you want to try it?"   
A shrug.   
He's the experimental type> Chris commented.   
I figured. You think he would?>   
Might. But Buck's a ladies' man; always was, always will be. I think he's just trying to come to terms with this so-called 'new side' of me>   
Ezra smiled.   
"Y'see, I just can't wrap my mind around it what's so good about kissing a man... and, well... the rest..."   
Chris grinned. "You don't have to wrap your mind around anything, old friend. The only ones interested in that bit of information are me and Ezra."   
"And I can attest that it's ... quite good," Ezra added. "All of it."   
Buck cleared his throat. "Ah."   
"You want a demonstration?" Chris teased more.   
Buck, expecting to be on the receiving end, raised his hands. "Ah, no, pard, I..."   
But Chris had already grabbed Ezra, lips meeting, mouths opening into a deep, passionate kiss. Buck stared at them, mouth hanging open, glad that the booth was not in a direct line of sight. When his two friends separated, Ezra's eyes held a glazed expression and he tentatively licked his lips.   
"I see you haven't lost that touch," Wilmington said, laughing.   
Chris grinned. "Nope, can't say I have."   
Ezra blinked dazedly. Buck had no idea at all what it was like, especially considering what was happening over the link. That was an addition no one would ever be able to understand.   
"Buck, whatever you want to do, just be careful, okay?" Chris asked seriously.   
"Hey, I'm not going to go overboard and do it for the heck of it."   
"That's all I'm asking."   
Chris and Ezra rose, leaving him alone in the bar. Buck emptied his mug, contemplated a second beer, then decided against it. He rose from the table, then frowned. Hadn't there been some prints? His prints? A chuckle escaped him. Ezra! Well, remembering the pictures, Chris would be in for some fun.   


on to Bedposts, Many Scarves, and Ezra 


End file.
